Week two of school shutdowns and stay at home orders is coming to a close. While I have (mostly) enjoyed the slow experience of being with my kids on a small agenda, I am definitely starting to go a little stir crazy. I feel like our home is shrinking, and unless you live in a never ending castle I am guessing you and your family are starting to feel it too. Here are some tips for making the most of your space.
Go Outside! There is no easier way to expand your living space than to include the great outdoors. Even with our “shelter in place” orders we are allowed outside. It is more difficult with all the playgrounds (and beaches!) closed, but it is still doable and important for our sanity.
Designate a different space in the house for each activity. When I teach preschool I have the kids sit on the couch only for science. Even a simple designation like that can make a huge difference. Is there somewhere you don’t usually hang out that you could use? Maybe read stories in mom and dad’s room?
Along the same lines- utilize hallways! As long as the clean up gets done before too much traffic needs to go through, a hallway is a great place to build a fort, train track, or obstacle course.
The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up– I cannot recommend this book enough. It was not what I expected. I thought it would be about all the tricks and hacks for neat organizing. Instead it is basically a guide for throwing away your stuff. It is liberating to get rid of excess belongings, and all that remains is useful and appreciated. You will feel like you live in a whole new place with so much extra space!
Switch all your furniture around. Get creative and try a totally new orientation. When I lived in Chile I met a sweet family with three young kids in a small home. Every few days the wife would get stir crazy and change the position of all the furniture -which room her kitchen table was in, where in the main room the couch and TV were located. She said changing the furniture around helped her make sure everything was clean, and she felt like she had so much more space.
Good luck combating restlessness in the upcoming weeks! Here’s hoping we can “flatten the curve” soon. Remember that this isolation is for a good cause. Stay safe and healthy!
Is there something you are doing to help combat cabin fever? Share your ideas in the comments!